I love back to school. Books, highlighters, course outlines–these things are like Christmas!

This fall, I’m not registered for any classes.

No books? No highlighters, no course outlines, no Christmas?!

Truth be told–and I feel cheesy saying this but I’ve been doing it anyways–most of the days of my life are feeling like Christmas lately. I chalk it up to getting real with myself and realizing we’re supposed to get out of bed feeling like we’ve got a reason to get up.

That being said, I’ll acknowledge that I didn’t just decide not to go back like that and feel awesome about my decision right away. There’s something terrifying about not being headed back to Western (or Brescia) or starting a post-grad, grad school, professional, whatever program right now. I have literally been in school for 20 years–since I was 3 years old–so this September is a big change and we all know how scary change can be.

That being said, if you’ve been following along with me, change is something I’m getting pretty used to (if that’s possible).

• I’m making changes in how I eat, adopting a By Design approach and starting to understand that any kind of negative response I get from people who aren’t doing the same can be met with facts, patience, and an opportunity to talk about why I believe in what I’m doing.
• I’m making changes in how I train, admitting that I have a lot to learn. Next week starts the “on ramp” program at West London Crossfit, something I am ridiculously excited for.
• I’m adding to my list of qualifications. I’ve got my Crossfit certification this September and I’m going to do as much learning about how functional, holistic trainers approach their work as I can.

• I’m working in fitness–cool! A chance to apply what I’m learning, right at my disposal.
• I’m building my portfolio. I’m sitting and coming up with story ideas galore–and I know that learning how to pitch stories is going to come with the process. I’ve been lucky in the past, but I can learn how to do even better and now I’ve got the time and space to actually do this.
• I’m reading my butt off:Atlas ShruggedStart with WhyWildSix Pillars of Self Esteem
• I’m hanging out with cool people. Surround yourself with people who are on an awesome wavelength and lo and behold, you end up there too. Having so many role models around has helped me realize: it’s not just okay, it’s RIGHT to live on purpose, to aim high, and to go after what you want.
• I’m on a “vision quest”, as my life coach would describe it. I don’t know if this is the right term, but I’m definitely defining my purpose, learning about myself, and thinking about my values more than ever before.

Now for a confession: I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I was tempted to use school as a crutch and a safety net this fall—think desperately trying to find “just a few courses” to register for, looking at life coaching programs and wondering when the “right time” to start is, etc.

While I’m not swearing off these things for good–I love school! I want to be a life coach!–I am telling myself something: if it’s meant to be, it’ll still be meant to be in a few months. It’s kind of like when I experimented with my exercise routine when I was still a crazy compulsive cardio-a-holic: if I really wanted to do a workout, I’d still want to do it later in the day. Ditto for when I was dealing with bingeing and told myself to wait 10 minutes to eat whatever was calling to me: if I really wanted it, I’d still want it in 10 minutes. I consider myself impulsive, but I’ve learned to listen to my impulses and take them as ideas but not necessarily as things I need to act on.

Anyways, I’m ready to open up this space in my life for the next step. I am not hating on education or on university, because it definitely has its merits, but there’s something to be said for deciding to live a bit in the real world and to get busy learning the things you won’t find in a university or college classroom.

It’s almost like there’s something ballsy about not going back to school this fall. People say, “really?” when I tell them. I’m sorting out my response and I think I’ve got it: I think it’s crazy to go to school for something just for the sake of going (even if that school is Columbia). It might be redundant, but if you don’t really want to do something, why bother? If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a hell no. If you’re not doing it because it serves your purpose, why waste the time and money?

At first, not having school this fall was terrifying. It started to feel weird when I realized other people were going back. Now, it’s starting to feel really good. Ah, the process of change. I definitely don’t feel bored, largely because my life is full of things, people, and thoughts that I’ve chosen to keep on purpose. 

Fall still rocks. In fact, it’s my favourite season. Yes, everything dies. But that means that something new can come out of it. And if that thought’s not better than a cheesy quote to wrap things up, I don’t know what is.

What’s a big change you’ve made lately?
What are you doing this fall?
Do you like fall?